Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar Takes Over as Director General Project Seabird

On August 28, 2024, Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar, NM, assumed duties as the Director General of Project Seabird, taking over from Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti. He is now responsible for overseeing India’s largest defense infrastructure project at the Karwar Naval Base. The change of guard took place at the Headquarters of Project Seabird in New Delhi.

Career Background

Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1990, Vice Admiral Dhankhar is a specialist in Navigation and Direction. He is an alumnus of the Naval Academy, Defence Services Staff College, and has completed the Higher Command Course in Japan. His 34-year career includes specialist roles onboard warships such as Pondicherry, Godavari, Kora, and Mysore.

Instructional and Command Roles

Vice Admiral Dhankhar has held instructional positions in the Project 15 Training Team, Navigation and Direction School, and at the MIDS Wing Officer’s Cadet School in Singapore. His command appointments include Executive Officer on INS Delhi and Commanding Officer on INS Gharial, Mumbai, and Vikramaditya.

Staff and Flag Rank Appointments

His staff roles include positions as Joint Director and Director at the Directorate of Naval Plans, Principal Director/Commodore (Personnel) at the Directorate of Personnel. In his Flag rank, he has served as Chief Staff Officer (Training), Flag Officer Sea Training, Commandant Naval War College, and Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet. He also served as Chairman of the Carrier Acceptance Trials Team for INS Vikrant.

Honors and Recent Tenure

Vice Admiral Dhankhar was awarded the Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) in 2015 for his role in the Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) from Aden and Al-Hodeida, Yemen. As Fleet Commander of the Eastern Fleet, he maintained high combat readiness and operational tempo, including numerous bilateral and multilateral engagements like MILAN 24.

Current Role

Now, as Director General of Project Seabird, Vice Admiral Dhankhar will oversee the continued development of the Karwar Naval Base, a crucial element of India’s naval infrastructure.